The ability of molecules to crystallize in more than one arrangement in the solid-state (including ordered crystalline and disordered amorphous forms) has profound implications for a variety of fields, including pharmaceuticals, where low solubility and bioavailability often disqualify promising pharmaceuticals from being developed. Some of the strategies used to overcome these barriers include identifying different packing forms (polymorphs), multi-component (cocrystal) or salt forms, and amorphous forms. We are developing techniques to control the process of crystallization to develop materials with improved functionality. Our work in this area began with employing polymers as phase directors to promote crystallization of a variety of forms and now extends to creating crystallization inhibitors to help stabilize amorphous forms. Combinatorial materials chemistry plays a vital role in these efforts, as do advanced analytical techniques including single crystal and powder X-ray microdiffraction, thermal analysis, dynamic vapor sorption, in vitro dissolution measurements, and Raman spectrscopy.

Suresh, K.; Matzger, A. J. "Enhanced Drug Delivery by Dissolution of Amorphous Drug Encapsulated in a Water Unstable Metal-Organic Framework." Angewandte Chemie, 2019 (online)

Frank, D. S.; Zhu, Q.; Matzger, A. J. "Inhibiting or Accelerating Crystallization of Pharmaceuticals by Manipulating Polymer Solubility." Mol. Pharmaceutics, 2019 (online)

Frank, D. S.; Matzger, A. J. "Effect of Polymer Hydrophobicity on the Stability of Amorphous Solid Dispersions and Supersaturated Solutions of a Hydrophobic Pharmaceutical." Mol. Pharmaceutics, 2019 (online)

Kersten, K. M.; Breen, M. E.; Mapp, A. K.; Matzger, A. J. "Pharmaceutical solvate formation for the incorporation of the antimicrobial agent hydrogen peroxide." Chem. Commun., 2018 (online)

Li, Z.; Matzger, A. J. "Influence of Coformer Stoichiometric Ratio on Pharmaceutical Cocrystal Dissolution: Three Cocrystals of Carbamazepine/4-Aminobenzoic Acid" Mol. Pharmaceutics, 2016 (online)